5. First Cause

Why something infinite had to create the finite universe.

These concepts can also be logically verified by demonstrable proofs. Their veracity can be demonstrated from what we observe in nature and its phenomena. Through such scientific disciplines as physics and astronomy, certain basic principles can be derived, and on the basis of these, clear evidence for these concepts deduced. We will not occupy ourselves with this, however, but will rather set forth the well-known basic principles handed down by tradition. These we will present in an authentic framework, arranged in a comprehensive manner.

The Ramchal is telling us that one can use logical reasoning to arrive at the conclusion that there's an infinite source to finite existence, i.e. G-d. If we're going to use logic, let's start by abnegating the notion that G-d – a non-physical existence – can be "seen" or "felt" through our five physical senses. The first man in outer space was the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin who, not surprisingly, was a staunch communist and proud atheist. As Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev later said, "Gagarin flew into space, but didn't see any G-d there."

We're going to try something more logically compelling. Maimonides, ibn Paquda, Rabbi Saadiah Gaon and other early Torah authorities all presented arguments centered around the idea of a First Cause.

Let's outline the basic flow of the argument and then examine it in detail:

We know that all finite things have a prior cause that brought them into existence.

When we trace this cause-and-effect process back to its origins, there are four seemingly logical possibilities:

"Nothing" began the process.

Something finite began the process.

Something non-finite (i.e. an infinite entity) began the process.

The process has no beginning – it has been going on eternally.

Arguments a, b and d all have deep logical flaws, rendering them impossible.

1) We know that all finite things have a prior cause that brought them into existence.

This is a basic fact that we know from many sources: our experience, logic, intuition and science. Every item that we've encountered in the universe – whether a black hole, an apple, or a bus driver – had some prior existing object or force that brought about its existence. In the case of the bus driver, it's his parents. For the apple, it's a tree, which came from a prior existing seed, which came from a prior tree, etc. For a black hole, it's a star that experienced gravitational collapse.

The idea that something exists that was not generated by something else, that just "popped" into existence with no cause, seems absurd. It goes against our experience of nature and against our intuition. There's absolutely no evidence to support such a possibility.

The Ramchal mentions that our observation of nature is also a way of deducing G-d's existence. As King David says in the book of Psalms, "The Heavens declare G-d's glory, the skies tell of His handiwork" (19:2). Modern science also confirms for us a fact that matches our empirical observation of the universe – there is a universal law of cause and effect. In fact, the whole basis of science is to observe the phenomena of the universe and to seek to understand its causes.

2) When we trace back this cause-and-effect chain to its origins, there are four seemingly logical possibilities:
(a) "Nothing" began the process.

This possibility is the easiest to negate. In fact, it's the only option of the four that no philosophy or scientific theory subscribes to. It essentially says that something can come into existence even though no prior existence or force brought about its existence. It must have "created itself." In Duties of the Heart,1 Rabbi Bachya ibn Paquda summarily shows the logical flaw of this proposition:

When we say that something created itself, we have to ask: When did this act take place? Before it came into existence or after it came into existence? If before, there was nothing there, and from nothing, nothing can come. If after, then it doesn't need to create itself. It's already there!

Is it theoretically possible that there's an affect even though there's no cause? Can physical existence just pop out of nothing? There may be no way of actually disproving this possibility, but someone who believes in a theory that has no evidence and goes against intuition and everything in our experience, is taking an enormous, irrational leap of faith!

(b) Something finite began the process.

This argument is also easy to negate. It doesn't answer the question at all! Rather, it just pushes the question back one further step, reductio ad absurdum. If the response to "what created finite" is "something else that's finite," then the only logical retort is, "Well, what created that?" Which means that this answer has to inevitably lead to answers (c) or (d). [Option (a) has already been knocked out, if you're keeping score.]

(c) Something non-finite began the process.

This option suggests that a finite universe that exists in time and space must have something beyond these finite dimensions that created it. There must exist a realm that is not bound by any finite dimension (i.e. infinite), which created the finite. This is what the Ramchal referred to as a "first, primal, eternal cause" – i.e. G-d, a force beyond the dimension of time, unbound by the limitations of space and the laws of nature.

This option is clearly the idea behind the famous opening line of Genesis, "In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth." "The heavens," meaning the spiritual realms, and "the earth," the physical reality, were brought into being by a force. By necessity, that force must be above and beyond the physical and spiritual finite realities that it creates. This first line of Genesis is not an attempt to prove G-d's existence, but it does neatly define what we mean by G-d – a being that is unlimited in every possible way.

In our next segment, we'll examine the one remaining option:

(d) The process has no beginning – it has been going on eternally.

Why can't we believe that the universe just came into being on it's own, with no prior cause?

Why isn't it sufficient to believe that some flying spaghetti monster created the world?

How can we conclude that the world has an infinite creator, when so many brilliant scientists reject this claim?

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About the Author

Rabbi Moshe Zeldman performed undergraduate work in Artificial Intelligence and Philosophy at the University of Toronto, and has rabbinic ordination from Aish HaTorah. He lectures on a wide variety of topics at Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem, and to audiences around the world. He is also involved with research into hidden codes in the Torah. He resides in Jerusalem with his wife and their five children.

I have had a very difficult life, beset by illness, unemployment, and disappointment from those who had pledged to care for me. I am having trouble seeing the benevolent God in all this. What do you say, rabbi?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

I am very sorry to hear about the difficult times that you have had to endure. The trials that you have gone through no doubt have obviously made your relationship to God a difficult one. I can understand why.

As a rabbi, I have witnessed the most horrendous situations imaginable. I have experienced a 20-year-old who lost both of her parents in a car crash. Can you imagine a girl so close to her parents and in one day they're gone? I've lived through a husband coming home to find that his wife has collapsed, and in two days she's dead. There was nothing wrong with her before. And on and on and on.

When someone is in the midst of suffering, that's not the time to offer answers. It's a time to listen and empathize and be with the person as best you can. If there's anyone going through a painful time and is looking for a sense of relief, I am skeptical whether these intellectual answers will offer any kind of relief.

Dealing with pain and suffering is never easy, particularly since we often feel so helpless and out of control. But one thing we do have control over and that is our attitude. Try to stick to this 3-part formula:

1) Look for the positive side to things.

2) Try not to judge God, Who knows more than we do.

3) Ask God for the clarity to understand how this is for the best.

Our perceptions of good and evil are directly related to our understanding of the world. An African tribesman who never saw a hypodermic syringe in his life could think upon seeing a doctor inoculate a child that the doctor was actually trying to hurt the child! Our perceptions change with information.

Therefore the Jewish approach to "suffering" is that everything happens for the good, but since we are finite and cannot see the whole picture, we perceive some things as bad.

God has more information than we do; thus we cannot judge Him and say He is doing something bad. We trust God and say, "I haven't yet figured out why, but God knows this is for the best."

The Talmud tells the story of Rebbe Akiva who was traveling on the road late one night. His only source of light, a candle, blew out; his mode of transportation, a donkey, ran away; and his only source of food, a chicken, died. The next morning Rebbe Akiva realized that armed bandits had plundered everything in the area. Had they seen his candle, or heard his chicken or donkey, they would have victimized him as well.

We can accept pain and suffering in the world by trying to see what positive side it may have. For example, a woman whose child was killed by a drunk driver went out and started MADD - Mothers Against Drunk Driving. This organization was responsible for revolutionizing the laws against drunk driving in America, and as a result has surely saved thousands of lives. It could be said that the purpose of this child was to elevate his mother to the towering heights of greatness that she indeed achieved as a result of the tragedy.

Of course it is not always easy to find the positive side. But even the attempt helps tremendously. It is interesting that if we look back on our own lives, the times we have grown the most are not when things have gone easy, but when they've been difficult. So many times what appears as "bad" or "negative" ends up being a blessing. A person could lose their job, for example, only to realize later that was the opportunity they needed to break into a growing, new field!

In the meanwhile, we have invested so much time and energy into worrying or regretting - all for nothing and all to our detriment. It is wise to remember that worry is defined as "interest paid in advance on a debt which often times never comes due." So when we are having problems, we can ask ourselves, "What have I learned or gained?"

Also, there are two excellent books I can recommend: "Why me, God?" by Lisa Aiken (published by Aaronson), and "Confronting the Loss of a Baby," by Yamin Levy (Ktav).

In 1973, a cease-fire resolution was passed by the U.N. Security Council to halt the Yom Kippur War. Shuttle diplomacy by Henry Kissinger compelled Israel and Egypt to accept the cease-fire. Fighting, however, would continue for another four days. In the war, Israel suffered the loss of 2,600 soldiers and 800 tanks. Four years later, Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat would visit Jerusalem and announce his readiness to forge a permanent peace deal.

I told a group of people to repeat, "I am grateful to my Creator" five minutes each day for a month. Some of the results were:

* "At first I found it difficult to keep this up. This gave me a jolt. The Creator is giving me life each moment of each day and He gives me the air I breathe. Why is it so hard for me to express my gratitude? This self-rebuke gave me a strong feeling of motivation. I was committed to use the power of repeating messages to myself to build up this gratitude.

* "I realized that I would only be able to repeat this for five minutes at a time if I would sing it with a tune. So I would sing this five minutes each day. It became my favorite song.

* "The first day when I heard this, I found myself having to wait for something to start. I began to feel frustrated. Then I said to myself, ‘This is a perfect time to repeat, "I am grateful to my Creator" for five minutes.' It totally transformed the waiting into an uplifting experience. Throughout the month, I chose potentially frustrating moments to practice this. After a while, the stirrings of feelings of frustration became a trigger to begin my exercise."

* "Someone saw me smiling while I was waiting in line at my local supermarket. He asked me if anything special is going on in my life. "There are a lot of special things that I'm beginning to become more aware of," I replied.

* "By repeating, ‘I am grateful to my Creator,' I began to realize that everyone who is kind to me in any way was sent to me by my Creator. I increased my gratitude towards those people and I increased my gratitude to the Creator of it all."

May He Who knows what is hidden accept our call for help and listen to our cry (Siddur).

The Talmud states that a person may be coerced to perform a mitzvah even if it is required that the mitzvah be done of one's own volition (Rosh Hashanah 6a).

But are not coercion and volition mutually exclusive? Not necessarily, explains Rambam. Inasmuch as the soul of the Jew intrinsically wishes to do the Divine will, and it is only the physical self - which is subject to temptation - that may be resistive, the coercion inflicted upon the person overcomes that external resistance. Thus, when one performs the mitzvah, it is with the full volition of the inner self, the true self, for at his core, every Jew wishes to comply with the mandates of the Torah.

There is a hidden part of us, to which we may have limited access, yet we know it is there. When we pray for our needs, said Rabbi Uri of Strelisk, we generally ask only for that which we feel ourselves to be lacking. However, we must also recognize that our soul has spiritual needs, and that we may not be aware of its cravings.

We therefore pray, said Rabbi Uri, that God should listen not only to the requests that we verbalize, but also to our hidden needs that are very important to us - but which He knows much better than we.

Today I shall...

try to realize that there is a part of me of which I am only vaguely aware. I must try to get to know that part of myself, because it is my very essence.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...